Otoscope



Sept. 9, 41930. E. s, PLA-rou 1,775,140

OTOSCOPE Filed May 12, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 zz J 5 h f l 5M, @www Sept. 9, 1930. E, s, PLATQU 1,775,140

OTOSCOPE Filed May 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Shut 2 [rauen/Of FEL/N6 o. PL A Tou Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATI-:s

'PATENT omer:

e OTOSCOPE Application iled May'12, 1928. Serial Il'o.y 277,132.

ear orifice and the instrument being equipped with a lens and an eiectriclight by means of which'the surgeoncan'usea suitable instrument inserted into the fear through the :cone shaped member. In treating'` an ab- *io scessed ear, the surgeon inserts afs'uitable incising tool intothe ear' through the otoscope `and makes an incision in the ear d rumto` obtain access tothe abscess. This operation is guitefrequently performed upon a child, and "J the surgeon' should'h'ave one hand free to laid in holding .the i child stillV while' making the incision in the drum.' This vis hardlyp'ossible Awhen' using instruments of this kindnas lordinarily made', as the surgeonmu'st hl'dthe 520' barrel of the otoscope inone hand whilethe tool for making the incision in the ear `j drum is' held in the other, the nurse or mother being lrelied upon: to hold thefchild. i This has proved to be an unsatisfactory manner f "525,d performingthe'foperation, because of the difiiculty in eeping' the chilfdvperfectly still, and the primaryl object4 of my invention is to provide a! devicefor use in connection with c an otoscope, whichrwiil allow' the surgeon to Vv"BOhO-ld the.instrumer'itV and operate the incising vtool .withfthev samey hand, leaving the ,other handy free toassist in holding the child.

A further 'object' is to Aprovide'a. device AVwhich may be incorporated inI an otoscope 35 during its manufacture,"or vmay be applied to an instrument of this kindto-orm an attachment therefor after the otoscope has been completed, or when itis inuse; Y

Other objects ofthe invention will appear ``40 frvom the following detailed description.

The inventionconsists generally of varin oups constructions an'd' combinations, alias hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

-- "In the accompanying vdrawings jforming 'part' of this speciiicvation,

Figure 1 isa viewpartially in section of an otoscope 'showing my invention applied ',thereto, and also 'showing the 'incising tQQl in this kind now on the market.

Figure 2 is a similar VView showing the position assumed bythetool when it is projected by the finger. Vor thumb of the user;

Figure 3 is a view showing a modified manner of mounting the device on the barrel of the otoscope; v

Figure 4 is a sectional yiew onthe line 4 4 of Figure 3; and Y Figures 5 and 6 are detail views showing a means for removably mountingthe tool on G0 'its shank, thereby allowing the substitution Voi one form of tool for another.

In the drawing, 2 represents the barrel of a standard form of 'otoscope having a shank 3 surmounted by a hood or sheil`4, within H'05 which a suitable electric. light/ois provided,

connected with a sourceoi` electrical energy,

not shown. A cone shaped member 6 has a sliding connection at i7 withthe shell 4,., and may be mounted thereon `or removed as desired. This cone has an endtportion 8 provided withfanoriiice throughwhich the instrument for use in the ear may beinserted.

A lens 49 is mounted in the rear of the shell 4 by means of which, aided'by the light 5,975 the surgeon 'or user ofthe instrument may have a clear vision of the orifice inthe ear and the surface of the car drum. The structure above described is common to 'devices of lt=will be understood in using an instrument of this sort, that when the cone shaped member isy inserted into the earand held at 'a point where the user has a clear line of vision through the cone, that the insertion of 85 j facilitate" the operation and aid the surgeon iny making the incision at they desired point in the ear drumI provide a shank 1'0 adapted to slide in a guidell that` is mounted on the barrel of the otoscope, and projects upwardly 'and forwardly on a curved line into the shell t4, A'sldeilZ-'has fa socket 13 torecelvethe 90 clamping screw 14 kwill be eXposed'where a lpressure may be exerted thereon by the thumb of the user, the shank sliding in the guide 11 thereby concealing the incising tool 17 with- I in the instrument. The incising tool has a cutting edge 18 at one end and its opposite end is detachable. an'd connected withthe shank 10 by a suitable coupling device 19,

which will allow the convenient removal'of" the tool whenever desired. A suitable guide 22 is preferably provided in thev orifice of the cone 6 to supportand guide the tool 17, when projected from theinstrum'ent,l as shown in Figure2. 1,. l p

.Normally this tool will be retracted to an invisible position within the cone 6 and cannot be seen by the mother or nurse, when the otoscope is inserted into the ear vof the child. The cutting edge of the knife will be near the orifice of the cone 6, and whenthe instrument hasl been properlypositioned in the ear, the

surgeonfwill raise the slide 12 by pressure of the thumb thereon, and, observing the movement of the knife through the lens 9, can

"easily and quickly make the desired incisiony inthe ear ,drum The cuttingedge of the knife kbeing closeto the. end ofthe cone, the time usually required for the insertion of the tool through vthe cone after the instrument has been adjusted, will be eliminated, and the operation of bringing the cutting edge of the ltool into contactv with the .earl drum'will be greatlyfacilitated; the surgeon holdingy the instrumentin one hand and manipulating the lslide with the thumb of the same hand, will have the other hand entirely free to kaid the mother ornurse in holding the child. y

Instead of havingL the shank outside the circumference ofthe barrel, I may form a longitudinal recess 20 in the wall lof the barrel and mount the slide therein so-that only the inthe upper portion of the otoscope in subr mannerof mounting the slide and shank will y stantially the same manner'asrshown and described with reference to VFigure 1.y This generally be employed when the device is applied to the 4instrument in the course of its manufacture, the wallof the otoscope being fashioned particularlyfor this purpose. In ,Figures and .6 I'y have'shown another-"form of tool21, having anl end to fit the clamp 19 and capable of ,convenientremovalithereJ from, whenever desired, to substitute one tool :for another.; Y, j n. .y v Y Inthe drawings Ihaveshown anotoscope `of the type having a substantially closedl `chamber provided within the shell 4 and coneshapedimember, and `having a rubber bulb grasping said barrel.

25 communicating with the chamber through a flexible tube 24 and a nipple 23, formed on thel wall of the chamber. By means of the bulb 25, a partial vacuum may be created n in the chamber within the shell 4to draw the ear drum linto closer contact with the end 8 of the cone-shaped member 6. A

Itwillbe understood from the foregoing description that my improvementmay be incorporated in any suitable way within or y upon'thebarrel lof;-thegotoscope during its c'ourseof manufacture, or it can be appliedy conveniently to an instrument of this kind that is alreadyinvuse, andv hence the device iscapableof universal application to an instrument of rthis kind. y

, I claim'as'my'invention:

1. An .oto'scope comprising a barrel includ'- ing a member l.adapted for'insertion into the ear and having anorifice through which theear drum may be viewed, anda shank mounted to move back yand, forthfin guides in Vsaid member and havingA a tool thereon.

adapted to be projected through ther orifice in said memberto pierce Ithe ear drum.V

2. An otoscope comprisinga barrelfformv ing a handv grip :and la,conefshaped member surmounting said barrel andadapted .for in@V =sertion into` the ear, ajshankslidablein said member and having altool-"thereon for projecn tion Athrough -and beyond said member, and means connected with said shank and adapt-V ed vto be`operated bythe Vhand. of the -user 3. An otoscope comprisingy 4a vbarrel VVand a cone-shaped member surmounting said barrel andha'vingian end kfor insertion into the ear, a Vflexible shank slidably lmounted, in Vguides on said barrel yandlhavinga tool for projec# tionthrough and beyond saidcone-shaped ymember,and means connected with said shank and adapted tobe; operated by the thumb ofthe user grasping said barrel, for the purpose 'spefciedf a ,e .4. Anv otoscope comprising a barrelhaving `a'memberv thereon `prov'ided'jwith an `end adaptedfor insertionfint'o'the'ear and havinganoriice through which the ear drum vis visible, a shank mounted to slide in'a'guide, a spring for normallypretracting saidshank, an incisingtool removably mounted'on said` shank, andl adapted to :be projected through yand beyond said riiice', and means foroperating said shank against,y the tension of said spring to project the tool from said orifice.

adaptedV to be insertedinto 'the ear., said reduced `*portion having an orifice therein 1 120 ,5f An'otoscope comprisinga barrel formi ing a handgrip, a member secured to one end nthereofand provided with areduce'd portion through which the ear'drum may be viewed, tool mounted for sliding movement within lsaid member .and normally concealed therein, Vand means on said hand grip foractuating said tool, whereby thelatter may be operated.

to puncture the ear drum without removing the ear-engaging member from the ear.

6. An otoscope comprising a part to be held in the hand and having a member adapted to be inserted into the ear, and through which the ear drum may be viewed, a tool movably mounted Within said member and normally concealed therein, and means mounted eXteriorly of the member and adapted to be operm ated by the hand of the user grasping the otoscope, whereby said tool may be projected from vsaid member, for the purpose specified. In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of May, 1928.

ERLING S. PLATOU. 

